Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Fair Shopping

Yesterday my girlfriend an I went to the Puyallup Fair. Since it was a Monday, we thought it wouldn't be too crowded. However, we didn't realize it was Military Appreciation Day, so active-duty and retired members got in free. As a result, the place was as crowded as I've seen it on weekends.

However, the crowds didn't bother us because both of us get nauseated on amusement park rides, so we didn't have to stand in any lines. Instead, we spent a pleasant afternoon shopping for unique items and foodstuffs.

We tried finding a Rosie the Riveter sign for my girlfriend, but all the vendors were out of them. One of them told us, it was their most popular sign.

Our next quest was for particular foodstuffs. My favorites are raw honey, garlic mustard and caramel corn, especially Cosmos. There's not a single un-popped kernel in any bag! I hate getting that stuff caught in my teeth or gums. When I was a teen, I remember getting a kernel caught, deep under my tongue. It took me over an hour to fish it out, hurting every second.

We found one of the honey vendors and my girlfriend bought me a 3 pound jar. Honey provides several health benefits. I've also heard it's a good sleep aid, so I take at least a tablespoon each evening.

Besides, it tastes great!

Speaking of which, I had a honeycomb for the second time in my life. The first time was when I was little and my family stopped at a road-side fruit stand. I vaguely remember liking it then, so I thought I'd give it a try now.

My first bite gave me two surprises. First, how much honey was loaded in the cells of the comb. The thing is like a sponge! The second was how waxy-tasting the comb was. It wasn't bad at all, it merely tasted like flaky, wax-flavored bubblegum.

Even though I was spitting out comb-bits in the parking lot as we were leaving the fair, I enjoyed rediscovering a childhood treat. And besides, there's unhealthier foods I could have eaten.

While I was nibbling on honeycomb, my girlfriend was sipping on an iced mocha. She's a coffee connoisseur and Starbucks aficionado. But since there were no "green mermaid" stands, she settled for her 2nd favorite brand, the Pacific Northwest's own--BigFoot Java.

My girlfriend has never tried garlic mustard, so I was hoping to buy a small jar as a sample. While we found the Garlic Gourmay stand, stocked with several small jars, when we returned to actually buy one they had sold out. I know, I could buy some through their website--but it's not the same.

Traditionally, the Puyallup Fair starts the weekend after Labor Day and runs for a little over 2 weeks. For you music and comedy act lovers, the fair also has a respectable concert series.

This year, the fair runs through September 23rd. So you better hurry if you want to "do the Puyallup!"

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About the Director

I'm a retired USAF TACP (Tactical Air Control Party) member, now working for Washington State Emergency Management. In addition to being an Emergency Operations Specialist at my day/night/weekend job, I'm a Foreign Affairs Specialist, gamer and writer.
I maintain three blogs as an on-line platform. "Stern Rake Studio," my central site, explores a variety of topics on gaming, pop-culture and writing. "Station WTFO" is where I post comments and discussions on the national and international issues that concern us. Finally, "The Redshift Chronicles," is a spin-off of "Stern Rake Studio." This site focuses on sci-fi gaming and is home to my long-form webcomic "Breakout from Bongolaan."